Ellen Degeneres announces 'last comedy special of her career' on Netflix
Ellen DeGeneres is calling it a farewell, as she is set to debut the "last comedy special of her career."
The comedian will return to Netflix for her new special "Ellen Degeneres: For Your Approval," after her 2018 special "Relatable."
The former talk show host set out on Ellen's Last Stand…Up Tour earlier this year, which ended last month. The tour followed her retreat from the spotlight after a July 2020 Buzzfeed News report detailing employee claims that they faced racism, fear and intimidation while working on her talk show.
"The final comedy special of her historic career, Ellen gets personal and reveals what she’s been doing since being 'kicked out of show business,'" reads a press release. "From the mundane world of raising chickens and parallel parking to the harsh reality of becoming a brand name celebrity, she goes deep into her stand-up roots and brings the laughs through life’s most real and absurd realities."
Degeneres has previously said of the comedy special: "To answer the questions everyone is asking me — Yes, I’m going to talk about it. Yes, this is my last special. Yes, Portia really is that pretty in real life."
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At her tour kickoff, according to Rolling Stone and People, DeGeneres took the opportunity to address the elephant in the room.
"We were both just laying low for a while," she said of herself and her wife, Portia de Rossi, per the outlets.
Reflecting on the backlash after the Buzzfeed report, DeGeneres said: "The 'be kind' girl wasn't kind. I became this one-dimensional character who gave stuff away and danced up steps."
She later addressed ending the show amid the controversy in May 2022, after 19 years on air.
"I'm making jokes about what happened to me, but it was devastating, really," she said. "I just hated the way the show ended. I love that show so much and I just hated that the last time people would see me is that way."
Ellen DeGeneresbreaks silence on talk show's 'devastating' end 2 years ago: Reports
What happened on 'The Ellen DeGeneres Show' in 2020?
In its report, Buzzfeed News noted that many former employees blamed executive producers and other senior managers for the "day-to-day toxicity." Still, one former employee said DeGeneres "really needs to take more responsibility."
Some said they were fired after taking medical leave or bereavement days to attend funerals, while one claimed she dealt with racist comments, actions and microaggressions.
Upon returning to the show following the bombshell report, DeGeneres told the audience, "I learned that things happened here that never should have happened. I take that very seriously, and I want to say I am so sorry to the people who were affected."
She continued, "I know that I'm in a position of privilege and power, and I realize that with that comes responsibility, and I take responsibility for what happens at my show."
In a statement to USA TODAY in 2020, executive producers Ed Glavin, Mary Connelly and Andy Lassner said they were "truly heartbroken and sorry to learn" about the claims. The following month after the report, executive producers Glavin, Kevin Leman and Jonathan Norman were ousted from the syndicated talk show.
How to watch 'Ellen Degeneres: For Your Approval'
What's being called Degeneres' last comedy special is set to air globally on Sept. 24 on Netflix.
Contributing: KiMi Robinson, Hannah Yasharoff and Sara M Moniuszko